


Lost in the Woods

by Matloc



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Akashi doesn't dress in drag sorry, Alternate Universe - Crack, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Big Bad Wolf Kuroko, M/M, Red Riding Akashi, Red Riding Hood!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 23:58:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3915529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Matloc/pseuds/Matloc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kiyoshi warns Akashi of the dangerous wolves lurking in their woods, but why pay any heed to the warning when the only wolf he comes across is Kuroko?</p><blockquote>
  <p>Kuroko is standing by the same table again, donning a heart-patterned apron that suspiciously looks like the very same one Akashi’s grandmother wears all the time. He steps closer to read the hideous purple print spanning across the apron.<br/> </p>
  <p>    <em>#1 Waifu!</em></p>
  <p> </p>
  <p>That is definitely from his grandmother’s eccentric collection alright.</p>
</blockquote>
            </blockquote>





	Lost in the Woods

 

The Teikou Woodlands is a magnificent landscape that stretches right out to the sea—its lush green thickets inspiring the age-old idiom of “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. It boasts a colorful myriad of flowers, and birds that sing bubbly tunes to each other on a coquettish perch. Luring dewy-eyed couples or ambitious explorers into its enchanting depths, to turn them into the next cautionary tale.

Stray too far and a wolf might just come around to deceive you with kind words and a smile.

Akashi Seijuurou is one such boreal-bound traveler that the forest of Teikou readily devours in its fantastical groves. To this day, he cannot tell if it was a wolf that he met at a fork in the road.

* * *

Kiyoshi Teppei’s humble abode does have a homely feel to it. Wood-carved squirrels are scurrying about on overhead beams when his guest steps into the foyer. A pleasant clack of flat heels on teak alerts Kiyoshi to his visitor. The fresh scent of apples wafts into the air, tingling the occupants’ tastebuds.

A visitor for many years, Akashi has yet to tire of this place.

Kiyoshi waves the redhead over with a smile, dropping another log into the fireplace. A basket holding beautiful, red apples sits on the oak table.

“Here you go, Little Red.” He slides it over to the shorter male.

“I am not sure with what inclinations you address me impudently so,” says Akashi, miffed. “But if you do not cease this foolishness, I will make it so that you may never look at me from above anymore.”

Kiyoshi clearly thinks death threats are the latest form of entertainment, because he bellows heartily. “Ha! What a goof!” He reaches over and whacks Akashi’s back, nearly making the poor lad cough, earning a simpering glare in return.

The only reason Akashi holds back from committing an atrocity in this household is because he doesn’t want to risk ruining his outfit: a shiny, red coat with a hood that drapes over his forehead. His grandmother has quite the eccentric taste, but it is only once a year that he gets to indulge her.

Basket of apples in hand, he pulls up his hood and heads back out into the woods.

“Beware the wolves!” Kiyoshi warns, Akashi ignores.

Several urban legends have propagated from mouth to mouth of gossiping youth, with so many variations that it is a wonder how they all revolve around the malefic wolf. One that Akashi has yet to encounter in his sixteen summers of traversing forest lands to visit his grandmother.

Which is why Akashi can hardly call himself an expert on wolves. Yet he still keeps to a skeptic eye when he sees a bushy-tailed creature fiddling with a signpost at the junction lying ahead. Especially those tiny ears, poorly hidden by the sky reflected in the hair crowning his head. They flick upwards when their owner hears Akashi approaching him, turning around to meet ruby red eyes.

Indeed, Akashi is no expert on wolves, but he is pretty sure this creature is a boy. Those black ears and tail do leave room for suspicion, though perhaps not including the gross exaggerations of paws that make his neighbor’s bear collection look like the genuine thing, in the flesh.

“Whither must you be going so early, Red Riding Hood?” the boy asks with a voice so small that it paints his kind as precious little puppies instead of the deceitful devils people fear them as.

“What a rude form of inquiry,” Akashi replies, more amused than annoyed. “When you have yet to give me your name.”

“Apologies. I am Kuroko Tetsuya, but you may call me the Big Bad Wolf.” As if to emphasize his intimidating factor, he puts up his not-fake paws, but his efforts only manage to remind Akashi of the teddy bear he used to cuddle with as a child.

“Well then, Kuroko,” he pointedly ignores the other’s request. “I am known as Akashi Seijuurou.”

“Honored to make your acquaintance, Red Riding Hood.” It seems Kuroko comes with a rather childish seed in his vindictive streak that sprouts to avoid the usage of Akashi’s name.

He pulls down his hood and walks towards the wolf. “What were you up to just moments ago?” he asks.

Kuroko averts his eyes, glancing at the signpost. "Why, nothing at all.“

Akashi finds that hard to believe when the signs—one pointing to his grandmother’s house, the other to a swamp—have obviously been switched.

"Whither do you go, Red Riding Hood?” Kuroko inquires again.

“To my grandmother’s. On the road yonder.” Akashi points at the road to his right, where Kuroko has placed the “TO TEIKOU SWAMP” sign at.

“But here lies nothing but swamp! Surely through here you mean to go forth.” The wolf boy points to his own right. Akashi can only laud him for keeping a straight face while spouting such a ridiculous lie.

“Pray tell why I ought to travel the road I have not taken in the past sixteen years that I’ve gone to visit my grandmother?”

Kuroko’s ears twitch, and a pallor sets into his face as the boy in red undoes his lie with but a single question.

Akashi throws him a smirk, walking past him to take the right road to his grandmother. “I shall see you again, Wolf.”

He doesn’t realize just how quickly that prediction comes true.

* * *

As Akashi walks through the woods, a symphony of familiar sounds surrounds him, as how the forest greets him every year. A concert of fresh leaves crunching under his shoes, a gentle stream murmuring behind tall rocks, the wind rustling the trees and biting at his ears, birds hither tither chirruping and calling out to their friends.

His own footsteps sound heavy on the thick grass covering the forest floor like a new skin. Stuffed as though he’s trudging through clouds.

When he looks up, he isn’t surprised when he sees more green than blue as the trees arch over him like they’re his guardians. Sunlight gleams through a mottled dome of swaying leaves. Shimmering diamonds hanging from an evergreen sky.

It is in times like these where Akashi yearns to lose himself, away from his noisy father, who is more dictator than parent. A forest that welcomes him with open arms every year, he thinks it is nothing less than a blessing that he’s allowed to venture through here to meet his grandmother.

Her house should be appearing into sight any moment now as Akashi hears the stream die out. A while later proves him wrong, no house in sight after walking his estimate of the entire distance it takes to reach her doorstep. Yes, he should be knocking on her door right now.

But he still finds himself walking through woodlands that should have cleared out by now.

He decides to tread on, filing away his worries for now, not wanting to entertain the notion that he of all people could have taken a wrong turn.

Soon he finds himself at a fork again, and he is nothing short of astonished to see a blue-haired wolf wearing black robes. His tiny black ears perk up as he spots Akashi.

“Red Riding Hood!” he calls out, face impassive but the lilt of his voice betrays his eagerness.

He points to his right—to the way of the swamp again. “If you choose this path, I shall bestow upon you the honor of carrying this ancient medallion.”

True to his words, he fishes out a shiny gold medal from his robes with his hilariously huge paw-gloves. The object of what must bring great honor to the wearer glints brilliantly in the sunlight.

Akashi merely raises an eyebrow. “You must forgive me, for I do not hold any interest in receiving a medal that I haven’t earned by my own two hands.”

With that, he leaves for the other path again, ignoring the way those tiny ears droop at his words.

* * *

The stream comes whispering through the trees again. Akashi begins to realize that this weird series of incidents cannot be explained by a wrong turn, which he absolutely did not take.

His doubts finalize in the form of Kuroko appearing into sight again, standing at a junction he’s passed twice now. This time there’s a small table the wolf is standing behind. It holds something rather bizarre, not something one would normally go searching for in the woods.

A chessboard. Showing off a very elegant design with crystal pieces regally sitting atop it.

“I offer you this magnificent chessboard if only you travel this path, Red Riding Hood.” Kuroko points to the swamp again with his disproportionate paws.

“Quite the beauty, I say.” Kuroko’s ears perk up this time, and Akashi’s starting to get the urge to grab one of those furry little things, rolling it against his fingers to find out if they are as soft as they look. "A pity that I possess one of the same make in my household.“

They drop back down the very next instant, quivering behind cotton tufts of blue hair. The boy looks down and says nothing. Akashi goes on.

Surely it is just pity that tugs at his heart as he leaves Kuroko behind.

* * *

At least this time Akashi sees considerable change, if only in Kuroko’s attire as he once again meets him at the fork. A rather drastic one, much to his surprise.

Kuroko is standing by the same table again, donning a heart-patterned apron that suspiciously looks like the very same one Akashi’s grandmother wears all the time. He steps closer to read the hideous purple print spanning across the apron.

_#1 Waifu!_

That is definitely from his grandmother’s eccentric collection alright, and this is the first time he is consumed with the need to rip off the abominable piece of clothing. He can only ascribe the roots to this sudden barbarian impulse to Kuroko, and it is not quite clear how he should feel about that.

"Akashi-kun.” Kuroko wears a heart-print apron when he calls him by his name for the first time and it affects Akashi more than he has allowed it to.

The wolf gestures towards the boiling pot with normal, human hands, without the fake animal paws, and Akashi cannot be any more glad.

“I shall give you a tasty helping of your favorite tofu soup if you do not take the path whence you came out of,” Kuroko declares with his head held high.

Akashi is amazed because tofu is indeed his favorite, but more than that it’s the fact that Kuroko has taken the effort to prepare something for him that tickles the harp across his ribcage until it strums a sweet melody straight to his heart.

He cannot stop the smile from tugging at his lips. 

“Kuroko.” He steps forward, and immediately a disgustingly sweet smell assaults his nostrils. “What on earth is that?” he asks, covering his mouth and nose.

“Ah. It’s vanilla.” Kuroko picks up a piece of tofu out of the pot, where a disgusting white liquid brews within.

Akashi wastes no breath trying to come up with a nicer response. “I do apologize, but I must really be on my way now. I cannot keep my poor grandmother waiting any longer.” He marches down the road he’s taken so many times, this time to escape the horrible stench more than anything.

Perhaps he should teach Kuroko how to cook before he dare eat anything made by him.

* * *

The final time he runs into Kuroko at the fork, there are no stolen possessions or culinary disasters to greet Akashi this time.

No, this time it’s his very own horse.

“Akashi-kun, this is your one and only chance to ride this glorious steed, said to have been born on a bed of heavenly snow.” Kuroko waves towards the horse, half-eaten carrot and reins in hand.

“I am well aware, Kuroko. That is my horse after all.” Though technically Yukimaru belongs to his grandmother.

Which really strikes his curiosity as to how on earth Kuroko is stealing from his grandmother's house.

Kuroko looks flustered this time around, ears twitching rapidly. “I… I see.” He gives Yukimaru the rest of the carrot, letting go of the reins as the horse lets out a happy nicker and trots his merry way into the woods. Knowing Yukimaru, he is probably going back to his grandmother’s place.

The only thing odd about that is the route the horse takes, because it’s straight to the swamp he’s heading.

“Kuroko, what is your true identity, I wonder?" Akashi steps closer to the wolf, who looks at him with conflicted blue eyes. His ears are drooping again and Akashi wants nothing more than to rub those furry appendages and tug them back up.

Kuroko sighs. "I am the new butler your grandmother has hired. She instructed me to keep you entertained while she takes the day off with her friends.”

Akashi raises an eyebrow. “Be this entertainment to you? To have me going in circles so?”

“If you had given me the clemency to wait a moment instead of skipping off to the wrong path time and again, I could have told you that the path was enchanted, Akashi-kun. Those who walk it are forever stuck in a loop." Kuroko purses his lips, and that’s the closest he allows to a pout, but it is almost enough to tempt Akashi into an act most mischievous to wipe it off his face.

"Please take responsibility for your part in this, Akashi-kun,” says Kuroko.

Akashi blinks in surprise. To receive a scolding from Kuroko himself. He certainly hasn’t been expecting that. He smiles slightly. “Of course. My deepest apologies, Kuroko.”

He pats Kuroko’s shoulder as a way of comfort, but when his hand lingers too long and starts sneaking down his arm, brushing across naked skin, the wolf wiggles away from him. In spite of that, Akashi can still see the white camellias of his skin slowly being kissed by spring that lives on hibiscus lips. How it spreads pink across his face, his neck and perhaps even lower should Akashi put his own lips on Kuroko’s body.

If all wolves were like Kuroko, then Akashi now understands just where the danger truly lurks.

Because as they finally walk down the path chosen by Kuroko this time, he peeks up through his lashes, saying, “I must confess, Akashi-kun. I was at an impasse. If I hadn’t caught hold of you this time, I was afraid of having to resort to much viler deeds to keep you.”

That definitely perks Akashi’s interest. He struts ahead, turns around, blocks Kuroko’s way with his strong frame. Leans in until he’s close enough to feel Kuroko’s breath on his lips. 

Big blue eyes stare back at him, and he doesn’t move away this time, so Akashi whispers, “Well then. Why don’t you show me what you had in mind?”

The deep, enchanting woods of Teikou proceed to make the next cautionary tale out of Akashi Seijuurou.

 


End file.
